Pros and Cons of Cancun resorts

[DannyTS]

Most resorts in Riviera Maya are spread out and involve a lot of walking. I do not normally mind walking but it is not pleasant when it's hot. Going to a restaurant, pools, beach, entertaining venues etc will make you waste a lot of vacation time. The buildings are not tall and you can rarely see the ocean from your room, sometimes you can be 1/2 mile or more away from the beach. In terms of restaurants you have many choices within the resorts but to venture out you need a car or take a cab $$.

Most hotels in Cancun are taller and more compact. We love Westin Lagunamar for the amazing pools and the ocean views, the location across an upscale outdoor mall etc.. There are many restaurants within walking distance and a large grocery store 7 min by foot.Because of the location, a car is not necessary and it is also closer to the airport than RM so the transfer is faster and cheaper. Although we had been very happy with the resorts we stayed in RM, Lagunamar has been a much better experience for us overall.

 

[byeloe]

repost

 

[Eric B]

repost

I realize you Canadians have already done Thanksgiving, but down here this week it's "repast".

 

[gcole]

I have been to the Royals and Westin Lagunamar. We have been timesharing since 1998. We all agree that Westin Lagunamar is the nicest place we have stayed. Harborside is a close tie.

Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

 

[pianodinosaur]

We have stayed at both Fiesta Americana and The Royal Islander. The Fiesta Americana is close to all the major shopping and entertainment that Cancun has to offer. However, The Royal Islander is a fantastic resort for peace and relaxation. Both resorts are great exchanges.

 

[bobpark56]

Most resorts in Riviera Maya are spread out and involve a lot of walking. I do not normally mind walking but it is not pleasant when it's hot. Going to a restaurant, pools, beach, entertaining venues etc will make you waste a lot of vacation time. The buildings are not tall and you can rarely see the ocean from your room, sometimes you can be 1/2 mile or more away from the beach. In terms of restaurants you have many choices within the resorts but to venture out you need a car or take a cab $$.

Most hotels in Cancun are taller and more compact. We love Westin Lagunamar for the amazing pools and the ocean views, the location across an upscale outdoor mall etc.. There are many restaurants within walking distance and a large grocery store 7 min by foot.Because of the location, a car is not necessary and it is also closer to the airport than RM so the transfer is faster and cheaper. Although we had been very happy with the resorts we stayed in RM, Lagunamar has been a much better experience for us overall.

Better make that 12 minutes on foot.

 

[dioxide45]

Better make that 12 minutes on foot.

It is over half a mile from Lagunamar to Soriana and that is just along the street. You still have to get out of the resort property.

 

[jules54]

I think your first trip you should stay in Cancun. Royal Islander, or Westin. Rent a car if you must, but don't try to do everything in one week. You need some down time also to enjoy the resort and the ocean. Second trip go for Vidante resorts south of Cancun. The fees are totally worth it in my opinion. The Grand Luxe is the bomb even the one bedrooms have 2 full baths and are huge. You are allowed to use the Beach Club if staying at Grand Luxe or Grand Bliss. Not the Grand Luxe pool. They have a great transportation system on the resort. You can walk the place is very large but beautiful. No fighting over ocean view rooms as there are none. You can walk to the highway 307 and take a bus to downtown Playa Del Carmen, or north to Cancun about 2.00 pp. Great experience for kids and adults alike. Try to catch the Playa Express as it is very nice.
You can also rent from an owner as I believe no resort fees for them. Rent from SFX which I have done several times. Or get an Interval or RCI getaway. Much cheaper than giving up your high dollar week plus exchange fees. You still pay the same resort fees.
We love this area. Swimming with the Dolphins always gets the highest approval ratings with our groups.

 

[lockesfour]

I'm looking to trade into Cancun through II. It will be my wife and I and two kids, 14 and 10 years old. We would prefer a two bedroom, but a one bedroom would also work for us. We plan on renting a car and going to some of the Mayan ruins, Xel-ha or Xplor as well as snorkeling and kayaking. We like to explore rather than just sit on the beach. I see a lot of availability and we are flexible with dates so I am not too worried about the exchange. I have been looking at the following resorts and more I am looking for pros and cons or recommendations for these resorts.

Westin Lagunamar
Royal Islander or Royal Cancun
Villa del Palmar
Vidanta Resorts in Riviera Maya

I’m sitting in Westin Lagunamar right now. It’s very nice, I’m here on an II trade. Love the washer/dryer in unit and free gym access. There are 14 buildings and over 500 rooms.

Royal Sands and Royal Islander have laundry facilities available for a nominal fee. RS and RI rooms all have great views, not so with Lagunamar. Westin is more modern and updated but I prefer Royal Sands with a rental or Royal Islander on an II trade. Personally, I’d rather book a tour through the Thomas More desk in the Royals than rent a car and go on my own. Too much going on in Mexico to take off on my own.

Been to Cancun too many times to count. I usually stay at either Royal Islander or Royal Sands. If you trade to Royal Islander.....IT IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE. Royal Sands is all inclusive. However, if you rent a unit on TUG from an owner, instead of doing a trade on II, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO ALL INCLUSIVE!

Westin Lagunamar is very close to an indoor mall with a supermarket and it’s right across from an outdoor mall. I hope this helps.

 

[little1]

.....We plan on renting a car and going to some of the Mayan ruins, Xel-ha or Xplor as well as snorkeling and kayaking....

The bus system in Cancun is very good and cheap and will take you to your listed places quit easily. So a rental car is not necessary and relatively expansive in my opinion. In addition, driving in Mexico for tourists is not the best idea. You may be pulled over for little to no reason by the police because of "lunch or dinner time" money. I am not joking about this. It happened to my friends and myself in the past often enough that you "really" have to watch out for police, especially during the lunch and dinner time...lol

To go anywhere further out, like Chichen Itza, I would suggest a guided tour to get the best out of the trip. It's kind of far to drive on your own.

 

[vglap]

I traded through II into the Royal Mayan about three years back. There was no AI fee at that time. The resort and the 2BR unit was lovely and spacious for 4 adults. Taxied to Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos (same driver) very cheap. Did excursion to Chichenitza which was perfect.

 

[echino]

I rented a car via Sixt, it was not cheap and the car was very beat up. Was pulled over by police once, but they did not try to extort any money, just checked drivers licence and let me go. Having a car is nice to go to cenotes etc, but not really necessary. I will probably not rent a car when I stay at Lagunamar next time.

 

[buzglyd]

I've rented and not rented. Two years ago we took airport transportation to Playa del Carmen where I rented a car and drove to Bacalar. We stayed there for two nights and drove back and returned the car and walked and took cabs the rest of the week in Playa.

Earlier this year we stayed six nights at Lagunamar and didn't bother with a car. The bus system works perfectly for the strip and we hardly left the resort we liked it so much.

 

[simon63]

We used to rent a car by Hertz at the airport and left it the next Day at agency near of fiesta Americana without extra cost, but since Chedraui select open it wasn’t necesary. Last summer we rented a yacth to Isla Mujeres for 6 hours for 20 persons and it was a very nice Trip. They allow you to bring food and drinks.

 

[jlp879]

I'm looking to trade into Cancun through II. It will be my wife and I and two kids, 14 and 10 years old. We would prefer a two bedroom, but a one bedroom would also work for us. We plan on renting a car and going to some of the Mayan ruins, Xel-ha or Xplor as well as snorkeling and kayaking. We like to explore rather than just sit on the beach. I see a lot of availability and we are flexible with dates so I am not too worried about the exchange. I have been looking at the following resorts and more I am looking for pros and cons or recommendations for these resorts.

Westin Lagunamar
Royal Islander or Royal Cancun
Villa del Palmar
Vidanta Resorts in Riviera Maya

I know you did not consider Royal Haciendas (maybe due to their mandatory AI for exchangers) but I think it may be the right resort for your family given your kids ages. We stay there renting direct from owners. This makes the price very reasonable, plus we have a large kitchen to use for our meals.

The resort is neither too large nor too small and offers lots of activities right on site. The resort offers snorkeling and kayaking right from their beach. There are activities on site that are attractive for all ages. They provide shuttle service to Playa del Carmen during the day or you can take the resorts bikes into town for a pleasant ride.

The resort's location is great for exploring and if you feel like being really adventurous, you can take the collectivos that drop you off at the different cenotes or Xel-Ha and Xplor.

The one bedroom is big and works well for two kids as the living room contains two Murphy beds.

 

[curbysplace]

As I am reading this and writing this I’m sitting in a lounge chair at Royal Islander. Our first time here. We were at Westin Lagunamar for a week in late September for $299 on an II accommodation certificate. Yes Westin Lagunamar is a better resort than Royal Islander but ... you are IN MEXICO my friends. If you get into either you will be just fine!! Be careful if you’re looking for /trading or getaway to a non all-inclusive in Playa Del Carmen because several of them have an expensive “surcharge”.
I have NOT seen the surcharge for any of the Cancun non-all inclusives

 

[hurnik]

I think your first trip you should stay in Cancun. Royal Islander, or Westin. Rent a car if you must, but don't try to do everything in one week. You need some down time also to enjoy the resort and the ocean. Second trip go for Vidante resorts south of Cancun. The fees are totally worth it in my opinion. The Grand Luxe is the bomb even the one bedrooms have 2 full baths and are huge. You are allowed to use the Beach Club if staying at Grand Luxe or Grand Bliss. Not the Grand Luxe pool. They have a great transportation system on the resort. You can walk the place is very large but beautiful. No fighting over ocean view rooms as there are none. You can walk to the highway 307 and take a bus to downtown Playa Del Carmen, or north to Cancun about 2.00 pp. Great experience for kids and adults alike. Try to catch the Playa Express as it is very nice.
You can also rent from an owner as I believe no resort fees for them. Rent from SFX which I have done several times. Or get an Interval or RCI getaway. Much cheaper than giving up your high dollar week plus exchange fees. You still pay the same resort fees.
We love this area. Swimming with the Dolphins always gets the highest approval ratings with our groups.

I would caution on the Beach Club usage. I've had several friends use my SFX bonus weeks/exchanges for Grand bliss/Grand Luxxe (as recent as last month). Vidanta RM has refused to allow access to the Beach Club unless staying on an owners registered week. SFX/RCI/II exchangers aren't allowed to use the area - unless they attend the 4+ hour sales presentation.

I was surprised even in "low season" that they enforce this, but it is what it is. Originally it used to be only during "high" season.

 

[Eric B]

My experience has been the same as @hurnik on the Beach Club access. Kind of drives me to go to NV when I exchange down there instead of paying the price of the "update."

 

[rboesl]

I think your first trip you should stay in Cancun. Royal Islander, or Westin. Rent a car if you must, but don't try to do everything in one week. You need some down time also to enjoy the resort and the ocean. Second trip go for Vidante resorts south of Cancun. The fees are totally worth it in my opinion. The Grand Luxe is the bomb even the one bedrooms have 2 full baths and are huge. You are allowed to use the Beach Club if staying at Grand Luxe or Grand Bliss. Not the Grand Luxe pool. They have a great transportation system on the resort. You can walk the place is very large but beautiful. No fighting over ocean view rooms as there are none. You can walk to the highway 307 and take a bus to downtown Playa Del Carmen, or north to Cancun about 2.00 pp. Great experience for kids and adults alike. Try to catch the Playa Express as it is very nice.
You can also rent from an owner as I believe no resort fees for them. Rent from SFX which I have done several times. Or get an Interval or RCI getaway. Much cheaper than giving up your high dollar week plus exchange fees. You still pay the same resort fees.
We love this area. Swimming with the Dolphins always gets the highest approval ratings with our groups.

We were just at Vidanta Riviera Maya and were told they run a shuttle to Playa del Carmen. Also agree, the step up in luxury at Vidanta is VERY nice.

 

[Eric B]

We were just at Vidanta Riviera Maya and were told they run a shuttle to Playa del Carmen. Also agree, the step up in luxury at Vidanta is VERY nice.

They don't actually run the shuttle, but have a spot at the taxi stand where cooperativos stop and pick up people to go to PdC. They don't pick up elsewhere and have set spots they pick up from in PdC and operate on a set schedule, so it's as though they run it. Cost is something like 200 pesos roundtrip IIRC; hopefully someone that's done it more recently can chime in.

 

[jonreyn]

We were in Cancun Aug. & Sept. this year. Four weeks at the Royal Cancun and 2 weeks at the Royal Sands. The Cancun is not mandatory All Inclusive but the Sands is All inclusive for non-owners. As far as car rental, 2 families that we spoke to rented cars. They were both pulled over by the police. One family was told because they did not have their passports on them, they had to pay 5000 pesos. The police settled for 500 pesos.
(It is not necessary to carry your passport, a copy would be sufficient. If you hand over your passport to a cop, you could be a target for more extortion and grief if they hold on to your passport. You won't be able to leave the country without it.)
The second family were told that they were pulled over because the driver had been drinking. He argued with the cop until he pulled out his New York City's Detective Badge and threatened to report the cop to his superiors. He was let go. Local police can recognize a rental car by the license plate.